Little research has been done
so far on this family - much of the information below comes from a descendant,
Chris Brand of British Columbia, whose ancestor Jane Shakespeare, born in Arley,
Warwickshire, was the daughter of Solomon Grosvenor Shakespeare born 1805 in
Fillongley. The significance of Solomons name will be seen below.

Chris's information gives the
following 'family tree':

Solomon Grosvenor Shakespeare appears in the 1851 Census:

Head: SHAKESPEAR, Solomon Grosvenour

Name Relationship Mar Age
Sex Occupation Birthplace

Solomon Grosvenour SHAKESPEAR Head
M 45 M Annuitant Fillongley-War

Mary SHAKESPEAR Wife -
50 F --- Corley-War

Address: Parish House
Wood End, Meriden

Census Place: Fillongley Meriden,
Warwickshire

PRO Reference: HO/107/2063
Folio: 446 Page: 14 FHL Film:
0087322

Jane appears, after her marriage, in the 1881 census (there seems to be a
discrepancy with her age):

During
a conversation with his Grandfather (Max William
Grosvenor Overton), Chris made the following notes from original
documents in his Grandfathers possession (which have, sadly, since disappeared):

Settlement by Soloman Grosvenor and Thomas Shakespear on his intended marriage
to Anne Dugdale widow and a daughter of Soloman Grosvenor. Dated 23/9/1737

Inventory
by Anne Dugdale, widow of William Dugdale, of the latters goods. Dated
18/6/1733

Draft marriage settlement between
Soloman Grosvenor and his wife Anne, and Thomas Shakespeare on his marriage to
Anne Dugdale, widow of William Dugdale and a daughter of Soloman Grosvenor and
Anne.

Chris adds the following notes:

Note 1:
The IGI has the marriage of Anne Grosvenor to William Dugdale 23 Jan 1732,
Fillongley, Warwick, England.

Note 2: There is a
monument in Fillongley church, erected by Thomas Shakespear. The genealogy
of that seems to agree with the titles of the papers detailed above.

The Fillongley Monument

Near
this place in the Middle Be Lieth the
Body of GEORGE SHAKESPEAR Gent who
Departed this Life the 23d day of January
1699 Aged 45.
And also the Body of MARY SHAKESPEAR
the Wife of GEORGE SHAKESPEAR who~
Departed this Life the 26th day of Feb.1732,
Aged 73. She was Eldest Daughter of PHILIP
ORTON of Church Bicknell Gent. who had
Issue two Sons, and one Daughter, GEORGE,
THOMAS, and ELIZABETH.
Here also lieth ye Body of GEORGE SHAKES
PEAR who Departed this Life the 28th Day of
March 1734, Aged 50.
And also the Body of JANE SHAKESPEAR,
the Wife of THOMAS SHAKESPEAR, who
Departed this Life June 7th 1736 Aged 53. She
was the Daughter of THOMAS WRIGHT
of Neather Whitaker, Gent.
And also THOMAS SHAKESPEAR Gent. Son of the
above Named GEORGE SHAKESPEAR Gent.
who departed this Life May ye 7th, 1763, Aged 73
by whom this Monument was erected in a pious regard
to the Memory of his Father Mother Brother & first Wife
And also Francis his Son, who Died in its Infancy
whom he had by his Second Wife.
She was Daughter to SOLOMON GROSVENOR Esqr

The monument gives the following 'Family Tree':

The connection between the names on this monumental
inscription and the documents originally in the possession of Chris's
Grandfather is obvious, as is the significance of the name Solomon Grosvenor
Shakespeare, and it is highly probable that the Thomas Shakespeare, who married
Elizabeth Smith at Fillongley in 1794, is a grandson of the Thomas on the
Monument: indeed, there is a baptism on the IGI: 21 April 1769, Thomas son of
Thomas and Mary Shakespeare.

The age on the monument does not quite agree, as it would
give George a birthdate around 1655, but he is most probably the George baptised
1658 at Little Packington,
son of Thomas and Grace Shakespeare.

There is another Shakespeare tomb in Fillongley Church:
on the
floor of the nave of Fillongley church is a flat stone, inscribed – “To the
memory of Thomas Shakespear of Fillongley, in the County of Warwick, gentleman,
who departed this life May ye 7th, 1763, in the 73rd year
of his age.

‘Afflictions
sore long time I bore,

Physicians
were in vain,

Till
death gave ease and God did please

To
ease me of my pain.’

‘Dear
Christians for Jesus’ sake forbear

To
disturb the dust that slumbers here’ “

(Note
the similar last two lines to those on William Shakespeare’s own epitaph in
Stratford.)

However, the
inscription on the above stone was copied by John Shakespear (descendant of the
Keresley family) in the 1980's and the full inscription contains further details
(some words are missing due to the stone being worn):

Thomas Shakespear of Fillongley died 1763 aged 73.
He was twice married: his first wife was daughter of Thomas Wright of Nether
Whitacre second wife daughter of Soloman Grosvenor descended ...........
Bushbury de Stallard by whom he had numerous offspring but all died except one
son and one daughter.

An honest man, a good husband and a tender father.

Afflictions so long bore ............

Dear Christian to ..............

To disturb the dust that slumbers here.

There is one more stone on the floor of the aisle of the
church, also transcribed by John Shakespear in the 1980's (again some words
were illegible due to wear):

Beneath and near this stone lie the remains of
Thomas Shakespear esq and Elizabeth and six of their children, 3 of which
died infants.

Thomas Shakespear died August 1830 aged 61
years. Elizabeth his wife died December 1853 aged 81 years.

[This daughter Elizabeth is obviously the Elizabeth Smith
Shakespear who married William Docker 6 July 1831 at Fillongley]

The parishes of Fillongley and Little Packington are
adjacent, and the Shakespeare families in both used the then relatively uncommon
christian name George, as did the family at Arley, where later members of the
Fillongley family are known to have lived - this may indicate a possible
connection between these families. Note also the information from the indenture
dated 1694 between Thomas Shakespeare and Adrian Shakespeare: there is a baptism
recorded 31 March 1671 at Arley of Adrian son of 'Thomae and Mariae Shakespeere.'
This may be the same person.

William Shakespeare of Arley (son of
Thomas & 'Mariae'), who died in 1729, is referred to as 'kinsman' in the
will of Thomas Shakespeare
(died 1763) the son of George Shakespeare of Fillongley. Hence George
(1654-1699) may be a brother of Thomas Shakespeare of Arley who died in 1719.

There is also the earlier record of a will dated 26 April
1610 which mentions Adrian Shakespeare, son of Thomas
Shakespeare of Little Packington. The date of this will, however, seems to be in
error, and may be an estimation of this Thomas's date of birth - no will is
listed in the indexes for this date at Lichfield or elsewhere: the will referred
to is more likely to be one of two listed for the 1680's for Thomas Shakespeare,
of Little Packington. Another reference to Adrian
Shakespeare, said to be of Stratford, is
a claim for him to be a member of the same family
as the Poet. Curiously, both the families at Fillongley and Little Packington seem to have used the same
Coat of Arms as the
Poet's family.

This is the current status of research on this line - the
Fillongley Parish Registers have not yet been examined, and given the family's
status there are probably wills and records of land ownership yet to be found.
Since writing the above further information has been received from John
Shakespear, a descendant of the Keresley
family, who has investigated the Fillongley Shakespeares, including a number of
wills held at Lichfield Record Office,
for a possible link with his own. This confirms the connection between the
family on the monument in Fillongley church and Solomon Grosvenor Shakespeare:

Notes

From the IGI:

Marriage at 'Bickenhill',
13 May 1684, of George Shakespeare and Mary Orton

Baptism at 'Bickenhill', 2
March 1684/5, of George, son of the above couple